Fairmont Hotels & Resorts continues expansion in China with Fairmont Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, Central China.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand in the FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) portfolio, Oceanwide Hotel Investment Management Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Central Business Area Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, today announced the development of a new hotel in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, Central China. Joining the brand's growing collection of properties in China, Fairmont Wuhan is slated to open in 2017.

Fairmont Wuhan will feature 350 guestrooms, four distinctive dining outlets and approximately 2,500 square meters (26,910 square feet) of event and banquet space. The world-class hotel will also offer business and leisure travelers access to a Willow Stream Spa - the company's award-winning signature spa brand - and fitness options including a swimming pool.

“We're pleased to be introducing the Fairmont brand to another important domestic market in China” said Jennifer Fox, President, FRHI International and Fairmont Brand. “Wuhan's position as a base for industry, as well as being the financial, educational and transportation hub of Central China, makes it an ideal location to develop a luxury hotel. We look forward to being a key part of the city's continued growth."

The hotel, which will be part of a mixed-use development featuring two office towers, will be located in the Wuhan CBD, the future business and financial center of Central China. Located in downtown Wuhan, the Wuhan CBD development covers a land area of 7.41km2, and houses a significant amount of office towers, residential buildings and commercial facilities. Transportation to the area will be accommodated by the nearby Hankou Railway Station, major metro lines and the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, the busiest in Central China, as well as the extensive high speed railway system which offers convenient access to Beijing and Shanghai.

Wuhan sits at the meeting point of the Yangtze and Hangshui Rivers, and is the most important hub in Central China. The city's history dates back over 3,500 years, making it one of the most ancient metropolitan centres in the country. It has long been renowned as a centre for the arts and for intellectual studies and it remains an important area for education, as well as science and technology. Attractions for visitors include the Hubei Provincial Museum, one of the country's leading museums, the Yellow Crane Tower, considered one of the Four Great Towers of China as well as the East Lake, the largest lake within a city in China, which is surrounded by themed gardens and ancient monuments. The city also acts as a starting base for luxury riverboat cruises, which pass the Three Gorges dam en route to Chongqing.

Fairmont currently operates a number of properties in China, including Fairmont Beijing, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, Kunshan's Fairmont Yangcheng Lake, and Fairmont Nanjing. The country continues to be a key growth market for the brand with a number of new developments scheduled to open in the coming years.